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Wikitongues/Reports/2020

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The Wikitongues User Group was recognized as a Wikimedia user group in May 10, 2018. This report outlines our accomplishments and activities between May 3rd, 2019 and May 2nd, 2020.

Overview

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Wikitongues is a not-for-profit organization and volunteer community that educates the public about linguistic diversity and how to sustain it. In particular, we help people around the world create and archive documentation in their languages, especially video oral histories and distribute guides for getting involved with language preservation, revitalization, and sustainability.

Our user group was founded with two objectives:

  1. Facilitate Wikitongues contribution to Wikimedia projects, especially in the form of language content on the Wikimedia Commons.
  2. Promote linguistic diversity in the Wikimedia movement through language-centered events and campaigns.

Content

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Wikitongues began contributing to the Wikimedia Commons on June 24th, 2016, about two years before our user group was recognized. As of this report, we have contributed 352 language videos to the Wikimedia Commons, representing 274 unique languages. A lifetime index of videos contributed to the Wikimedia Commons may be found here. Between May 3rd, 2019 and May 2nd, 2020, Wikitongues volunteers recorded 55 CC-by-SA 4.0 videos, representing 57 unique languages. Of these, 38 videos representing 34 unique languages were added to the Wikimedia Commons and in some cases, Wikipedia. The remaining 19 videos were either added after May 2nd, 2020, or have not yet been added.

Languages on Commons

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Between May 3rd, 2019 and May 2nd, 2020, Wikitongues contributed videos for 34 unique languages to the Wikimedia Commons.

ISO Code (639-3/6)* Language Name
alt Southern Altai
acm Mesopotamian Spoken Arabic (Iraqi variety)
hye Armenian
asm Assamese
ban Bali
bgp Eastern Balochi
bft Balti
eus Basque
bem Bemba
bcl Bikol, Central
ceg Chamacoco
nld Dutch
hus Huastec
hun Hungarian
ilo Ilocano
mjw Karbi
lac Lacandon
abs Ambonese Malay
mlt Maltese
mdl Maltese Sign Language
rwr Marwari
meh Southwestern Tlaxiaco Mixtec
nkb Khoibu Naga
num Niuafo’ou
oci Occitan
ote Mezquital Otomi
pol Polish
fuf Pular
sme North Saami
nso Northern Sotho
tel Telugu
tcy Tulu
ukr Ukrainian
vro Võro

Videos and Audio on Commons

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Between May 3rd, 2019 and May 2nd, 2020, Wikitongues contributed 38 videos representing 34 unique languages to the Wikimedia Commons.

Featured languages by ISO Code (636-3/6) Featured languages by name Video File
alt Altai, Southern https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Dmitry_speaking_Altai.webm
acm Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Hussien_speaking_Iraqi_Arabic.webm
hye Armenian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Irina_speaking_Artsakh_Armenian.webm
asm, eng Assamese, English https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Kangkana_speaking_Assamese_and_English.webm
ban Bali https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITNOGUES-_Ni_Luh_speaking_Balinese.webm
bgp Balochi, Eastern http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Malek_speaking_Eastern_Balochi.webm
bft Balti https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Rizwan_speaking_Balti.webm
eus Basque https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_I%C3%B1aki_speaking_Basque.webm
bem Bemba https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brian_Mumba_speaking_Bemba.webm
bcl Bikol, Central https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Adela_speaking_Bicolano.webm
ceg Chamacoco http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Andr%C3%A9s_speaking_Yshyr.webm
nld Dutch https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Yorick_speaking_Oiltjers_Dutch.webm
hus Huastec http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Luis_speaking_Tenek.webm
hun Hungarian https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Gabriel_speaking_Hungarian.webm
ilo Ilocano https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_June_speaking_Ilocano.webm
mjw, eng Karbi, English https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Rajen_speaking_Karbi_and_English.webm
lac Lacandon http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Ross_speaking_Lacandon.webm
abs Malay, Ambonese https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Elfie_speaking_Bahasa_Aru.webm
mlt Maltese https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Keith_speaking_Maltese.webm
mdl Maltese Sign Language http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Loran_signing_Maltese_Sign_Language.webm
rwr Marwari https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Aditya_speaking_Marwari.webm
meh Mixtec, Southwestern Tlaxiaco https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Nezahualcoyotl_speaking_Nuyoo_Mixtec.webm
nkb Naga, Khoibu https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Donyashel_speaking_Khoibu.webm
num Niuafo’ou https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Nicholas_speaking_Niuafo%E2%80%99ou.webm
oci Occitan http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Isabelle_speaking_Occitan_(full_video).webm
ote Otomi, Mezquital http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Evan_speaking_H%C3%B1%C3%A4h%C3%B1u.webm
pol Polish https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Marta_speaking_Polish.webm#%7B%7Bint%3Afiledesc%7D%7D
fuf Pular https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Ibrahima_speaking_Pular.webm
sme Saami, North https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Lene_and_B%C3%B8rre_speaking_Northern_Sami.webm
nso Sotho, Northern https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Edgar_speaking_Northern_Sotho.webm#%7B%7Bint%3Afiledesc%7D%7D
tel Telugu https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Naren_speaking_Telugu.webm
tcy Tulu https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vishwanath_Badikana.webm
ukr Ukrainian http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Vira_speaking_Ukrainian.webm
vro Võro https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Egle_speaking_V%C3%B5ro.webm
vro Võro https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Maarika_speaking_V%C3%B5ro.webm
vro Võro https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Pulga_speaking_V%C3%B5ro.webm
vro Võro https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Sulev_speaking_V%C3%B5ro.webm
vro Võro https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Toomas_speaking_V%C3%B5ro.webm

Events

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To promote multilingualism on Wikipedia projects, we organized translate-a-thons and record-a-thons, the latter of which is an event format for contributing oral histories—representing oral and traditional knowledge—to Wikimedia projects.

Translate-a-thons

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Wikitongues organized no translate-a-thons during this period.

Record-a-thons

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At Wikimania 2019 in Stockholm, Wikitongues maintained a recording booth for Wikimedians to contribute their languages. During this time, we recorded the 11 videos in 15 languages.

Featured languages by ISO Code (636-3/6) Featured languages by name Video File
glg Galician not yet uploaded
ibo Igbo not yet uploaded
deu German, Standard not yet uploaded
cat Catalan not yet uploaded
eng, xwj English, Wajuk not yet uploaded
hye Armenian https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Irina_speaking_Artsakh_Armenian.webm
fon, gbx, guw Fon, Gbe, Eastern Xwla, Gun not yet uploaded
min Minangkabau not yet uploaded
nds Saxon, Low not yet uploaded
ukr Ukrainian http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIKITONGUES-_Vira_speaking_Ukrainian.webm
twi, dga Twi, Dagaare, Southern not yet uploaded

Cross-Collaboration

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Art+Feminism, Wikimedia Norge, Wikimedia UK, and Wikimedia Deutschland

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In coordination with Artandfeminism, Wikimedia Norge, Wikimedia UK, and Wikimedia Deutschland, Wikitongues drafted a conference and event grant application for Artic Knot, which we will co-organize in 2021.

Wikimedia Norge

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In coordination with Wikimedia Norge, we recorded two fluent speakers of North Saami, an Indigenous language of Norway.

Presentations

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Wikimania 2019

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Finances

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Wikitongues is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation registered in the U.S. state of New York since 2014. Our fiscal year runs from January to December. During our User Group's second year, which ran from May 3rd, 2019 to May 2nd, 2020, we allocated our budget exclusively to programs outside Wikimedia and, as such, all Wikitongues contributions to Wikimedia were entirely volunteer-driven without supporting expenses. Our organization's Statement of Activities for the period of May 3rd, 2019 to May 2nd, 2020 is included below.

Revenues, Gains, and Other Support

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Item Restricted funds Unrestricted funds
Contributions and other revenue $0.00 $52,245.26 USD
Total expenses and losses $0.00 $69,959.41 USD
Net assets on May 1st, 2019 $0.00 $15,420.23 USD
Net assets for May 2019 to May 2020 $0.00 -$2,293.92
Change in net assets $0.00 -$17,714.15

Gallery

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Reflections

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Last year was the first time we formally contributed videos to the Wikimedia Commons, which means we were working with a vast backlog of content, so this year's contribution numbers more accurately reflect our capacity to expand language content on the commons. Going forward, we will measure our growth from this cycle. Our Commons category page is better organized from last cycle, but our content curation could be improved over all. In particular, we don't have a concrete strategy regarding contribution to Wikipedia, Wiktionary, and other relevant projects besides the Commons.

Going forward, we should build our capacity to:

  • Contribute strategically to Wikipedia and automate indexing our contributions to the same
  • Cultivate and sustain a sense of community between the members of our user group, without relying on in-person meetups at events like Wikimania